


Work In Progress

by Ffwydriad



Category: Avengers (Comics), Champions (Comics), Ms. Marvel (Comics), Spider-Man (Ultimateverse)
Genre: A slow burn fanfic about writing slow burn fanfic, All-New All-Different Avengers Annual #1, All-New All-Different Avengers Vol. 1 (2015), Characters Reading Fanfiction, Characters Writing Fanfiction, Dorks in Love, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Humor, Nerdiness, Shipping, Slow Burn, Superhero RPF - Freeform, Work Contains Fan(s) or Fandom(s), but the enemies part is over pretty quickly, how did i forget to tag humor that's like the entire fic, more like Enemies to Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-05-01 17:45:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14525919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ffwydriad/pseuds/Ffwydriad
Summary: This is the worst idea she's ever had in her life. She can't do it. Write fanfiction, shipping herself, and one of her SBFFs? It's going to end in death. Destruction. Her turn to supervillainy.But it can't be avoided. I mean, that coffeeshop au -Worth it. Totally worth it.





	1. Chapter 1

Bad idea: look up fanfiction about yourself

Worse idea: argue with writers of said fanfiction about your characterization in said fic, instead of doing your homework.

Worst of all possible ideas: read through all of their work to prove that they’re a bad writer, realize you actually like some of it, argue some more, and end up at midnight with a deal you know you’ll never be able to follow through on as long as you’re in your right mind, which clearly you aren’t, because you made the deal in the first place.

Kamala Khan is having the worst day-week-time of her life.

She’s thinking this, knowing how many supervillains she’s faced, how many sewers she’s walked through, how many times she’s lied to her parents, and the literal end of the world - well, that one’s hazy, but she’s pretty sure the world ended - and none of it compares to this.

She blames BadMachine1999. May he rest in pieces in the darkest corners of space, where no one can find him.

After he finishes writing that fic for her, of course. 

* * *

SlothBaby: I hate you

BadMachine1999: I hate you more.

SlothBaby: you had better be working on the next chapter for Coffee is for Champions

BadMachine1999: I thought you hated my writing

SlothBaby: I hate the way you write romance. Big difference.

BadMachine1999: What’s wrong with the way I write romance?

BadMachine1999: I’m great at writing romance

SlothBaby: you have a thrilling career writing dime novel bodice rippers

SlothBaby: when it comes to writing romance in fanfic however, you stink

BadMachine1999: yeah, yeah, they’re kind of ooc, big deal

SlothBaby: kind of?

SlothBaby: not going there

BadMachine1999: i can’t believe this

BadMachine1999: i already took it down, what more do you want from me

SlothBaby: the next chapter of Coffee is for Champions

BadMachine1999: besides that

BadMachine1999: Ugh, I hate you

SlothBaby: okay, so, i may have been wrong with asking you to take it down

SlothBaby: it’s just, i don’t know

SlothBaby: she’s kind of my personal hero

BadMachine1999: …

BadMachine1999: you aren’t wrong. It was really out of character

BadMachine1999: It’s just so hard. It seems like all of her fic is out of character.

SlothBaby: too be fair, if you don’t live in New Jersey, you don’t really get to know her

BadMachine1999: I know, right?

BadMachine1999: reading people write spider-man is painful

BadMachine1999: you can tell who lives in New York because the accuracy skyrockets

SlothBaby: if only there were people from New Jersey writing Ms M fic

BadMachine1999: besides you of course

SlothBaby: besides me

BadMachine1999: I don’t actually want to write her out of character.

SlothBaby: yeah, i kind of gathered

SlothBaby: most people don’t actually mean it, it’s just sooo annoying

BadMachine1999: annoying enough to harass them

SlothBaby: hey! I apologized

BadMachine1999: I mean, if you want to beta my stuff,,,

SlothBaby: what, and write her for you

BadMachine1999: no, just give me some guidelines, tell me when i’m in the right direction

BadMachine1999: someone needs to lead the charge for good MM fic

SlothBaby: and if no one else is going to do it it had better be me

SlothBaby: this is some weird mix between a dream come true and my worst nightmare

BadMachine1999: I can relate.

 

 _BadMachine1999 has sent you a link to suggest_ Ms. Marvel and the Teenage Love Triangle from Space 

 

SlothBaby: i take it back, I’m not gonna beta for you

BadMachine1999: hey, all you need to do is tell me where it sucks

BadMachine1999: go all out, we hate each other, it’s not like you can hurt my feelings

SlothBaby: i don’t hate you entirely

SlothBaby: i don’t know if i can reread it. It was....

BadMachine1999: okay, for real, do you just have a problem with writing Ms M romance?

SlothBaby: what? No!

BadMachine1999: cause you’re like one of the biggest writers on here

BadMachine1999: and most of what you write is romance

BadMachine1999: and you love Ms M

SlothBaby: it’s just a coincidence!

BadMachine1999: and you’ve never written a single fic about her?

BadMachine1999: oh sure

SlothBaby: i’ve written her in to fic

SlothBaby: she’s in a lot of my fic

BadMachine1999: as a side character

SlothBaby: you’ve read my stuff?

BadMachine1999: who hasn’t, you’re legendary

BadMachine1999: if not by quality, then by sheer quantity

SlothBaby: wow thanks

* * *

**FreakingAwesome User Profile: SlothBaby**

Wolverine and Storm in Space (Teen, Complete)

> A FreakingAwesome Top 10 story for six months in a row!
> 
> Wolverine and Storm meant to have a relaxing vacation away from the Earth, but instead, have found themselves caught up in an adventure that could lead to interstellar war!

Terror on Planet Unicorn (Gen, Incomplete)

> Part 7 of the Magical Pony Avengers
> 
> After falling through the Mystic Portal of Friendship, the Avengers and the Pony Gang find themselves on a mysterious world. Will they be able to find the key that can bring the Avengers back to Earth? Will they even be able to find their way back to Ponytopia?

Simply Marvellous (Teen, Complete)

> Strangely enough, even though there are aliens invading and the threat of the incoming apocalypse draws near, this isn't the worst date she's been on this month.

To the Skies (Teen, Complete)

> The new Thor is mysterious, dangerous, beautiful - and Sam thinks he's falling in love wither her.

The Saga of Rainbow Mountain (Gen, Complete)

> Part 4 of the Magical Pony Avengers
> 
> Following the defeat of Lord Shadowmare, the Avengers and the Pony Gang continue their search for a way to Earth. But will what they find at Rainbow Mountain bring them a step closer to home - or a step closer to doom?

Baby Avengers, Assemble! (Gen, Incomplete)

> Or, the world's most disastrous daycare.

Ponies, Assemble! (Gen, Complete)

> Part 1 of the Magical Pony Avengers
> 
> The Avengers find themselves in the land of Ponytopia!

Summer Thunderstorms (Teen, Complete)

> He's never met anyone quite like her. So mortal, yet so powerful, so divine. It's hard to keep your eyes off of Ororo Munroe, weather witch, goddess of the storms - especially when you're the god of thunder.

A Heavenly Star (Teen, Complete)

> Binary went to space to find herself. She never expected to find love. (Superhero RPF Rarepair fest 16)

A Summer's Day (Teen, Complete)

> Thor, Prince of Asgard, sets out to woo Steve Rogers, the hero of Midgard, to hilarious and disastrous effects.

 

Next Page (1 of 37)

* * *

BadMachine1999: I’m kidding, you’re great

BadMachine1999: better than me

SlothBaby: Hey, you’re not bad yourself

SlothBaby: I mean, you can’t write romance. At all.

BadMachine1999: come on, i can write romance

SlothBaby: i like exactly four of your stories. The four which don’t have any main pairing.

SlothBaby: come on, you’re great at writing team stuff, focus on that

BadMachine1999: but the ships

SlothBaby: other people will write ships, but who’s gonna write the amazing dynamics of a champions coffee shop au?

SlothBaby: or any of your other team bonding fics

BadMachine1999: yeah, but who’s going to write any good shipfics with the champions?

BadMachine1999: come on, you’ve gone through the tag

BadMachine1999: if i don’t write it, no one will

BadMachine1999: unless

 

Bad. Worse - 

 

BadMachine1999: hey, how badly do you want the next chapter for Coffee is for Champions

SlothBaby: you have no idea

BadMachine1999: have you ever done a fic exchange

SlothBaby: of course i have

SlothBaby: i do yuletide every year. It’s basically my only winter holiday.

BadMachine1999: we should do that

BadMachine1999: i write the rest of Coffee is for Champions

BadMachine1999: and you write a ship fic for Ms Marvel

SlothBaby: what

BadMachine1999: chapter for chapter

BadMachine1999: it’s perfect

SlothBaby: no it’s not

SlothBaby: you’re holding your own fic hostage

BadMachine1999: Come on, you’ve written for like every single pairing in superhero rpf

BadMachine1999: you can write Ms Marvel/Spider-man

BadMachine1999: or Nova i guess

SlothBaby: i’m not going to

 

[Chapter Summary: Viv takes apart the coffee machine, Nova tries his hand at pastries, and Amadeus cracks the unified theory of coffee.]

 

SlothBaby: you’re serious

BadMachine1999: chapter for chapter.

SlothBaby:and when would we stop

BadMachine1999: i don’t know

BadMachine1999: when you stop posting new chapters.

SlothBaby: no limit?

SlothBaby: the longest fic you’ve written was barely 15 chapters. I can keep this going for a long, long time

BadMachine1999: so can i

BadMachine1999: coffee shop aus are endless. So, i take it you accept the deal

SlothBaby: i’m afraid i take the fall for the greater good of all superhero rpf fandom

SlothBaby: well, all champions fandom

BadMachine1999: come on, writing Ms M romance can’t be that bad

BadMachine1999: although i am very proud of how much you enjoy this story

SlothBaby: like i said, when you aren’t writing romance,,,

BadMachine1999: do you have a weakness

SlothBaby: no i’m perfect

SlothBaby: i don’t know if i’ll be able to write a good Ms M

BadMachine1999: you write her really well in your other fic

SlothBaby: yeah but this is different

SlothBaby: i’m gonna go to sleep. I’ll talk to you later.

BadMachine1999: i still hate you btw

SlothBaby: i hate you more!

* * *

If Miles or Sam ever found out about this, she would kill the person who told them, burn the internet to the ground, and destroy the world, with nothing but her bare hands.

But, well, her one weakness was good Champions team bonding fic, which she definitely was not living vicariously through. No, it was just, good idea fodder. There was absolutely no blurring the lines between what was real and what was something BadMachine1999 had written in a oneshot.

Kamala Khan realized, as she lay in her bed and stared up at the ceiling, that she had made a very, very bad mistake.

Bad. Worse. Worst of all possible worlds.

How do you write a fanfic pairing you and one of your SBFFs when you couldn’t even think of how to write a relationship between you? And long enough to get as much coffee shop au as possible before you inevitably had a mental breakdown and turned to supervillainy?

Slow burn. Slow burn all the way.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kind of want to apologize - this is probably gonna be real slow in updating (wow, the story called wip is gonna be a wip). i do have most of the second chapter written though, so that should come up fairly soon. the rest, well, who knows.


	2. Chapter 2

>   _After the battle, they sit on the rooftop of a -_

No. This is slow burn and long, not just some oneshot. Ughhhh.

> _The alarm-_

Boring. Cliche. 

> _She had hoped for a better start to her day than the city being invaded by neon pink monkeys hellbent on arson, but experience had taught her not to rely on those hopes._

Now they were getting somewhere.

* * *

Badguys defeated, world saved, and that meant one thing: a long, boring plane ride back home. 

She missed working with the Secret Warriors, because being on a team with a teleporter was just, so cool. She missed Lockjaw too, even if her teleporting dog hadn't actually done much teleporting, or really been her dog. Lockjaw was so great. She should probably head back to the Inhumans and see how he was doing. What a good boy. 

Still, wishing for teleporters didn't make them appear, and this was hardly her first time on a long, boring plane ride back after a mission. If her time on the Avengers had taught her one thing - well, it had taught her so many things, being on the Avengers was awesome - it was that times like these were great for catching up on homework, something the other Champions had learned from her.

Kind of? Well, Miles was writing an essay for school, at least. Sam wasn't, but then, she can't remember ever seeing Sam doing homework on these trips unless he was bugging one of them to help him on it. Actually, she wasn't certain if any of the others even had homework. Amadeus didn't, but he was doing science, which sort of counts? Scott was flying the plane and was never doing any homework ever. She was pretty certain he attended the Xavier school, but did they actually give out homework? And Viv was playing video games, but then, she could also be doing homework at the same time, because Viv was the best at multi tasking. 

Whatever. She was an amazing role model and everyone followed in her great example to multitask superheroics and schoolwork. What a great team leader. 

Not that she was actually doing any homework today, but that was because she didn't have any homework to do. The second best thing times like these were great for was writing fanfiction. Some of her best fanfics had been written on the quinjet coming back from distant countries or space or wherever the Avengers or Champions had been on mission. 

This was. . .different. Maybe because normally, the people she was writing about weren't, you know, right there, and didn't have any risk of peeking over her shoulder and reading what she had written.

But Sam was bothering Amadeus, not her, and Miles was super caught up in whatever he was doing, which meant the only real risk was Viv, and hey, Viv finding out wouldn't be the end of the world. 

Still. Ctrl-F to change all the names. Just in case. 

 

SlothBaby: so i have a title

BadMachine1999: nice!

SlothBaby: She Blinded Me With Science

BadMachine1999: taking the rare "they're nerds" approach i see

SlothBaby: hey, Spider-Man is a nerd. it's contractual

SlothBaby: and no way is Ms M not a Danvers fan who got superpowers

 

Miles is chuckling, which means he isn't actually writing his essay. Then again, she isn't even writing, no matter how often she switches between the chat window and the word doc in the pretense that she's actually working. 

 

BadMachine1999: true, true, 

BadMachine1999: although to be fair, that's different from science nerdiness

SlothBaby: let her be smart please

SlothBaby: if i read another dumb Ms M fic i will die

BadMachine1999: hey, I'm totally behind you 

BadMachine1999: blind them

BadMachine1999: blind them with your science

SlothBaby: looool

 

Sam is bugging Amadeus, who is handling it like a pro. Viv has just the tiniest hint of a smile as she wins the battle in game. Miles is smiling too, enraptured in whatever is on his StarkPad that isn't his work, and Scott, well, he's in that zone he gets in to when he's flying, where everything is peaceful, one of the few times where that kid isn't constantly exuding this aura of angst and anxiety. 

Yeah, the flight home is super boring, and she really wished the team had someone to snap their fingers and teleport them all back home, but, she has to admit, there's something really nice about all of them like this. Something that just feels right. 

...

Okay, that's going in the fic. 

* * *

SlothBaby: I hate you

BadMachine1999: i hate you more

BadMachine1999: whats up

SlothBaby: finished the first chapter

 

 _SlothBaby has sent you a link to suggest_  She Blinded Me With Science chapter 1

 

SlothBaby: it's a little short but wtev

BadMachine1999: and, for you,

 

 _BadMachine1999 has sent you a link to suggest_  Coffee is for Champions 6

 

SlothBaby: nice!

BadMachine1999: wait, you sent me a link to the doc, not to the fic

BadMachine1999: do you want me to 

BadMachine1999: beta it?

SlothBaby: uh, yeah?

SlothBaby: i'm betaing your junk, i deserve something in return

BadMachine1999: i don't know how!

SlothBaby: have you never beta'd before

BadMachine1999: no!

BadMachine1999: when would I have ever?

BadMachine1999: i mean, i've done revisions in English class

SlothBaby: same thing but cooler

SlothBaby: just, you know, fix grammar mistakes, point out where it's confusing or ooc, all that

BadMachine1999: i guess...

SlothBaby: i'd say im surprised you've never betaread before

SlothBaby: but your work is clearly unbetad so i mean

BadMachine1999: it's not like i can just go, hey i need a beta

SlothBaby: there is literally a place where you're supposed to go ask that

BadMachine1999: but its weird!

SlothBaby: this, specifically, is why i hate you

BadMachine1999: no like

BadMachine1999: idk 

BadMachine1999: it's really personal? getting that close to a fic? so its weird to have a complete stranger do it

SlothBaby: i am literally a complete stranger

BadMachine1999: yeah but ive read your stuff

BadMachine1999: i'm just, not good at making friends

BadMachine1999: online

BadMachine1999: i am great at making friends irl

SlothBaby: sure you are

SlothBaby: you're secretly a super popular kid, i believe you

BadMachine1999: i have a ton of friends!

BadMachine1999: but i'm pretty new to fandom and making friends online is weird

SlothBaby: it isn't that hard

SlothBaby: you just, talk to people

BadMachine1999: yeah, says the big name writer with a top ten story

SlothBaby: wow, rude

SlothBaby: to be fair i don't have many fic writer friends

BadMachine1999: no, you just have fans

SlothBaby: yes

SlothBaby: that was definitely what i was going to say

BadMachine1999: i know you so well

SlothBaby: most of my online friends are video game friends

SlothBaby: and a few of them also write fic

SlothBaby: idk making friends is always weird you just kind of have to go for it

BadMachine1999: wow, great advice

SlothBaby: yes you're welcome

BadMachine1999: idk i guess we're friends

BadMachine1999: but i'm pretty sure i can't get all my friends like this

SlothBaby: no, no, this is a great plan

BadMachine1999: hey! you're the one who started this!

SlothBaby: yeah yeah

SlothBaby: idk, if you want more friends just trying reaching out in to the champions fandom?

SlothBaby: it's your main thing and it isn't that big

BadMachine1999: i guess

SlothBaby: hey, it's a good plan

SlothBaby: i became friends with roflcopter by asking for captain america recs

BadMachine1999: roflcopter

BadMachine1999: the admin

SlothBaby: yeah?

BadMachine1999: the admin who connected us

 

BadMachine1999: the admin who asked me to take my fic down

SlothBaby: i did apologize for that

BadMachine1999: nepotism!

BadMachine1999: so this is what it's like, using your friendship with those in power for personal gain

SlothBaby: i bet i could bribe him to do anything for me

BadMachine1999: bribe him with what

BadMachine1999: this is purely theoretical i don't plan on bribing admins with your advice

SlothBaby: rofl is totally in love with Captain America

SlothBaby: all of them, but especially Rogers

SlothBaby: if i promise him capslash, he'll give me whatever i want

BadMachine1999: good to see our admins have high standards

SlothBaby: don't laugh

SlothBaby: i could bribe you to do literally anything with Ms M/Spiderman

BadMachine1999: yes, my evil plan

BadMachine1999: that's all this is, mutual bribery

SlothBaby: i'm really tempted to make that my tumblr

BadMachine1999: nope sorry my idea my blog

SlothBaby: have i mentioned today that I hate you

BadMachine1999: yes

BadMachine1999: but don't worry, i hate you more

SlothBaby: ugh whatever

SlothBaby: assuming school doesn't start kicking my ass again i'll have that for you on wednesday

BadMachine1999: same

BadMachine1999: i guess i'll talk to you then?

SlothBaby: yeah, i'm gonna play some overwatch

BadMachine1999: switching from writing about superheroes to playing games about superheroes

SlothBaby: leave me alone

SlothBaby: talk to you whenever i guess

* * *

Overwatch isn't about superheroes. It's just a fighting game that happens to have characters who are basically superheroes. Not everything in her life resolves around superheroes. 

Yeah, that's believable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! i actually finished this in a decent amount of time. sadly, that should be an outlier - i'm headed on a school trip to iceland and i won't have a ton of time to write, so this next one may take a while. thanks to everyone who read/kudos'd/commented, i didn't expect this fic to be quite nearly as liked as it was.


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

> _Ms. Marvel looked at the Champions, as they stood in the central room of the Mobile Bunker. "I know this is a lot to ask of you guys," she said, "especially our newer members, those who haven't gone to space to save the universe," she looks over, at Ironheart, Wasp, and Snowguard. "There's no shame in wanting to stay behind with your families. This is going to be long. This is going to be dangerous."_
> 
> _"Way to sell the mission, Ms. M," Nova said, leaning back in his chair._
> 
> _"I mean it." She looked over, at him, and past him, to where Spider-Man was sitting. "I'm okay doing this alone."_
> 
> _"You know we'd follow you to the ends of the Earth," Spider-Man told her. He gazed right back at her, or at least, seemed to beneath the large white lenses of his mask. Her breath caught, just a little, but she steadied herself before her stoic leadership pose dropped._
> 
> _"Good," Viv said. "That is where we're going."_

* * *

BadMachine1999: soooo what do you think

SlothBaby: what do i think?

SlothBaby: what do you think!!!

SlothBaby: im the one who sent you the start of a massive, intergalactic drama! 

BadMachine1999: are you dissing the coffee shop au

BadMachine1999: cause you're the one who kept bugging me for it

SlothBaby: no that was perfect as always

SlothBaby: but not gonna lie my commentary is basically just "that is funny/nice/cute"

SlothBaby: what do you think!

BadMachine1999: i don't think the title fits

BadMachine1999: i think you have an obsession with shoving outerspace adventures in to every story you write

BadMachine1999: and i like it. a lot.

BadMachine1999: waiting for the romance tho

SlothBaby: it's slow burn you better wait for it

BadMachine1999: if it's slow burn gimme that pining

SlothBaby: it's coming! don't be so impatient

BadMachine1999: dude being impatient is what slow burns about

SlothBaby: i mean same but

SlothBaby: !!!

BadMachine1999: seriously tho i do not get the title

BadMachine1999: "She Blinded Me With Science" does not give "going to space to fight aliens"

SlothBaby: yes because you're so good at picking out titles

SlothBaby: Mr "Ms Marvel and the Teenage Love Triangle from Space"

BadMachine1999: yeah bc "Wolverine and Storm in Space" is such a good fanfic title

SlothBaby: anyways it fits some of the stuff i have outlined for later

BadMachine1999: wait do you have an actual outline for your fics

SlothBaby: ye

BadMachine1999: can i see it

SlothBaby: no way

BadMachine1999: come on

BadMachine1999: i am trying to learn, to grow as a writer

SlothBaby: you can wait to see where the fic goes like everyone else

BadMachine1999: wait

BadMachine1999: you aren't going to blind spider-man, are you

SlothBaby: nooo

BadMachine1999: i don't trust that no

SlothBaby: no spoilers

BadMachine1999: you had better not

BadMachine1999: this is why i hate you 

SlothBaby: yeah yeah i hate you too

* * *

 

"I know this is a lot to ask," Kamala says, standing in the central room of the Champions Mobile Bunker. "I can understand if you're not quite ready to follow me in to this. If anyone wants to leave now, there's no shame."

"Am I missing something?" Riri asks. "It's just movie night, right?"

"Wrong!" Kamala yells. "This will test the bonds of friendship! This will show who is willing to stand with me until the very end!"

"She's not wrong," Amadeus says. "We're talking 20 hours of movie here."

"I thought you guys still lived with your parents," Nadia asked. "Why are any of them okay with you spending a whole day with us?"

"They don't know," Miles says. "I'm supposed to be at a summer STEM camp. It was really easy to hack everything and say it started one day earlier than it did."

"Yeah, and of course mine are just excited I'm focusing on school stuff instead of begging to go to conventions, so they aren't looking that closely," Kamala added. 

"Wait, you guys know each other in real life?" Amadeus asks. 

Miles and Kamala looked at each other from across the room. He shrugged.

"We're kind of .... rivals?" Kamala says. "I've been on the New Jersey State Science Fair Team all through high school, and Miles' is on the New York Team."

"Oh!" Nadia exclaims. "You're the kid who worked on the Reaktron!"

"I mean-" Miles starts. "Why do you even-"

"And you!" Nadia turns to Kamala. "Sky Shark! You're actually on my rather extensive list of people I need to eventually get around to recruiting for G.I.R.L.! What was your specific focus on that project? The anti-gravity lifts? The water containment bubble?"

"Making sure he was happy, and wow, you have a really obsessive knowledge about science fairs," Kamala says.

"That doesn't explain Sam, though," Riri points out.

"Eh," Sam says. "I'm still on Earth so she's cool with it. I mean, basically as long as I don't spend months in space risking my life with no contact again, she's okay with basically everything."

"Anyways!" Kamala said. "If everyone's ready, let the Massive Tolkien Movie Marathon commence!"

* * *

She slips out to the roof of the mobile bunker as the rest of the team starts to prepare dinner in the break between Return of the King and an Unexpected Journey. Allegedly, it's to watch the sunset. At least, that's what she's telling herself. She knows it's probably more to get some space after spending eleven hours in a room with the same people, but that seems kind of mean. And Ms. Marvel is not mean. 

Also, you know, watching the sunset from the roof of your flying house is kind of great. 

"Wow," Miles says, which is the first she realizes that she isn't alone. "That's amazing."

"Yeah," she says. The sky is still at the beginning of sunset, purple fading in to orange. 

"I am really not looking forward to starting this STEM camp after being awake for 24 hours," he adds.

"Better than having to fight bad guys after having been awake that long," she points out. She isn't certain if they've actually done that, though. This is far, far from her first time having to do school stuff after an all-night marathon. Or playing video games. Or fic writing. Or fic reading.

"That's fair," Miles says. 

"Camp is going to be weird without Bruno," Kamala says. "We always went to these things together."

"Bruno?" Miles asks. "Tall guy with the wavy hair, right? Did something happen"

"He's going to a tech school in Wakanda."

"I want to go to a tech school in Wakanda," Miles says. "Do you think if I asked Black Panther, he'd say yes?"

"Of course he would! Miles, you're a genius!" Kamala exclaims. "Would you want to?"

He pauses, and thinks it over. "I don't think there's much use for a Spider-Man in Wakanda."

"After Bruno left, I-" Kamala starts. "I thought about it, applying. I mean, I'm not you, or Bruno, or Riri, or Amadeus, or Nadia, or anyone like that, but I'm not so stupid not to realize I'm actually pretty good at this sort of stuff. I just need to apply myself." She can't help herself, she does the air quotes, embiggening powers and all. Miles snorts. "But, I realized that I want to keep being Ms. Marvel. Leader of the Champions. New Jersey's favorite daughter. I can't imagine not doing this. Not being her. Me. Ms M." She paused. "Oh my god. I'm going to be a superhero for the rest of my life."

"Was that. . .not your plan?" Miles asks.

"Yes? No? I never really thought that far?" She pauses. "Is that your plan?"

"Bold of you to assume I have a plan," he says, and she laughs. "Seriously though. There's no way I could ever stop being Spider-Man unless, I don't know, someone's life was at risk, or I died."

"Are you going to try and be a professional superhero?" she asks.

"Are you?"

"That would be called, disappointing my parents," Kamala says.

"Yeah, I mean," he says, "I'm probably going to end up working for like, Stark Industries, or Parker Industries, or something. Hopefully someone who wouldn't mind too much that I was, you know, being a superhero on the side."

"You'd probably be great at it. Super scienctist RnD dude," she says. "I have no plan whatsoever."

"You could probably pull off being a professional hero," he tells her. "Join Alpha Flight or something."

"Carol kind of hates me," she says. "And again, parents."

"Then just join the astronaut-y side of Alpha Flight," Miles says.

"Stop making me think about the future," she whines. "I don't like planning this far ahead. I mean, I just want to live my life like I do now. My life now is perfect."

"Do you seriously think being a space astronaut working for Captain Marvel wouldn't be perfect?" he asks.

"Oh god, now I'm going to spend the whole camp looking up how to join Alpha Flight," Kamala says, wide eyed. "I hate you."

Miles starts to say something back, but stops. They sit there in silence for a few moments. The sky is all orange, now, and the sun is mostly behind the horizon. "Do you think the Champions will still be together, when we're adults?"

"I mean, most teams don't last that long," Kamala points out, "especially when you're talking about kids like us. But, I mean, I hope so." She stares off, up at the clouds that are black against the orange sky. "I think I'd like to stay with you guys for the rest of my life."

There is a very loud sound from inside, and they look at each other, before heading back inside.

She really, really hopes nothing has exploded. That would definitely ruin movie night.

* * *

It wasn't an explosion, only some shattered dishes and a small fire, because trusting Amadeus, Sam, Amka, and Nadia to cook dinner may not have been the best of plans, especially not given that Viv was supposed to be helping but instead seemed to have only added to the chaos. Still, the food produced, while unidentifiable, was very good.

The group is just arriving in Rivendell, and she's glancing between her phone and the screen in what is a frankly impressive bit of multitasking. At the very least, she's not messaging anyone, because no one's online, even BadMachine1999, who is basically always on when she is. 

No, instead she's updating an outline with some extra details, on a scene between her and Miles. Ms Marvel and Spider-Man. Based on the conversation she had just had with Miles. 

I mean, not what they actually said, but the heart of it. And the stuff about Alpha Flight. Which, of course, she was totally going to spend all week looking into. I mean, the original Alpha Flight was Canadian, but the new one is in space, and do you have to be in the military? Seriously, she needed to know.

And, yeah, she was kind of digging herself a hole here, but it's not like it's hard to keep distance between RPF fic and real life. She did it  _all_ the time with the Avengers, when she was writing fic - shipping fic - about her mentors and teammates. 

Miles laughs, and she turns and looks at him, and spends a few seconds lingering on his smile.

Yep. Not hard to keep that distance at all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! guess who actually made another chapter! yeah, yeah, i only did it to avoid writing my paper, but still, it's here. i'm kidding, i also did it because all of the amazing comments you guys have been leaving. seriously, it means the world to me.


	4. Chapter 4

> _ They're alone in the ship together, waiting for the attack to begin. Everything is eerily quiet. The silence of space. The calm before the storm. _
> 
> _ “Are you ready for this?” Spider-man asks her.  _
> 
> _ “It doesn’t matter if I am or not,” she tells him, “I have to be.” _
> 
> _ “I believe in you,” he says, and for some reason, that means everything to her.  _
> 
> _ The seconds count down, the tension rising, as they wait, as they double check to make sure everything is working perfectly. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. _
> 
> _ Space seems to tear in on itself. They’re here. _

* * *

 

"Welcome, Campers of Summer 2018, to this year's STEM Fest!" the lady standing in the center of the auditorium stage shouts in to the microphone, and they all cheer. "Are you ready for some Science?"

Kamala shouts a loud "Yeah!" along with everyone else in the room, full of whoops and cheers and claps. She's sitting in the middle, next to Mike and some of her friends from the regular New Jersey team, and trying her best to pretend it isn't incredibly weird to have the huge, lanky, Bruno-shaped gap in the picture.

The announcer finishes the overview of their activities for the week, and she realizes she hasn't been paying attention to the words, a little bit distracted. Not like she hasn't been coming here for three years and know exactly what's coming up, like the schedule wasn't posted online months ago.

"And to top it all off, our grand finale, the STEM Fest Annual relay - a round of applause to last year’s champs, the Radioactive Spiders!” 

She watches as Miles and his friends jump up on stage, like she and Bruno had two years ago, and she is filled with a burning rage. Not at Miles - STEM Fest wasn’t really a competition, just getting in was the challenge, and, you know, they were actually friends, even if that wasn’t something she could tell any of her other friends, who only knew him as the Brain from Brooklyn, but because of that name.

The Radioactive Spiders. She’d known him for years, as one of her and Bruno’s big rivals, and he’d called his team the Radioactive Spiders, and she’d never connected the fact that he was Spider-Man? He was just standing there, making jokes about being Spider-Man, and she couldn’t call him out on it because she was the only one there who knew? Horrible!

And then he smiles at her, well, at the crowd, but their eyes match and his grin gets a little bit wider and she knows he’s smiling at her because they’re friends, and she smiles back, and Mike, sitting next to her, gets a shocked look in her eye.

“What was that?” she whispers, as they go over last year’s relay.

“What was what?” Kamala asks, and even she can tell how bad she’s covering this up.

“That smile- you were smiling at him,” Mike says.

“What? No!” 

“You were! I saw you!” Mike’s grinning now. “Kamala, do you like-”

“No he’s just-” she stops short for a second, realizing that saying they’re friends only makes the whole thing worse. “A rival, yeah, that was my rivalry grin, the grin that I make to express to my rivals that they’re going down.”

Mike doesn’t look convinced. “We’re at summer camp, it isn’t a competition,” she says. 

“Yeah, which is why this isn’t a New Jersey versus New York fight,” Kamala says. “It’s us versus them. Me versus him. We don’t need to win the Relay, but I’m gonna make sure we do better than he does.”

“Are you really going to be that competitive, just so that you can convince me you don’t have a crush on-”

“Uh, I was always going to be competitive,” she says, and grins. “Team Binary Fusion doesn’t go down with out a fight.”

Mike gives her a scrupulous look, and then they both are pulled out of the conversation by the sound of applause, as Miles and the rest of Team Radioactive Spiders get off the stage.

“And, without further ado, this year’s Relay will be…” the announcer trails off dramatically, and the crowd around them holds its breath in anticipation, “an Obstacle Course! Each seminar will have a clue to one of the obstacles, and you’ll have until Race Day to make anything you want to use! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves - we’ve still got a lot of fun science to get in before that, so we’d better get started! When you’ve finished moving in to the cabins, head to the dining hall. Our non-stop science adventure begins after lunch!”

She caught Miles’ eye as she stood up to file out of the auditorium. He grinned at her, and she quickly looked away, not wanting to further attract Mike’s attention. She hoped he would understand, how awkward it would be to try and explain how they’d become friends without compromising their secret identities. 

The cabins were the same as always, but at least they had internet. Best thing about doing a science summer camp is that they will never leave you without internet.

* * *

[How to join Alpha Flight]

Join Alpha Flight Today   
https://alphaflight.org/recruitment   

> Alpha Flight is the new first line in global defense. Whether you want to join as a scientist or as a military officer, there are …..

Alpha Flight (Space Corps)- Wikipedia   
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Flight_(Space Corps)

> Alpha Flight is an international organization founded to defend Earth from extraterrestrial threats. It is currently lead by Carol Danvers and....

[People Also Ask]

> What is Alpha Flight?    
>  Why is Alpha Flight in Space?    
>  What are the requirements to join Alpha Flight?    
>  Is Alpha Flight legal?

Alpha Flight (Canada) - Wikipedia   
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Flight_(Canada)

> Alpha Flight is a Canadian super-team founded in….

* * *

“Kamala, why are you avoiding me?” Miles asks, and she jumps out of her self, going more than a little bit stretchy, surprised. 

“You can’t just sneak up on me like that!” she says, annoyed. They’re out behind the cabins, and she’s supposed to be catching up with Mike and the rest of her friends, not getting scared by Miles pretending to be a Ninja.

“That isn’t an answer.” He’s sitting on the wall, and his arms are crossed, trying to look very serious, and she can’t take him seriously at all.

“Because we aren’t friends?” Kamala says, and then immediately backtracks, realizing the mistake. “I mean - we are friends, but we’re friends as super heroes, so it’s really hard to explain to everyone why I’m suddenly besties with my rival without revealing your secret identity, and my secret identity, and then there’s secret identities all around and-”

“Oh,” Miles says, relieved. “I thought you, I don’t know, were mad at me or something.”

“Why would I be mad? Did you do something?”

“Why would I have done something? You could just be, I don’t know, angry at the world and lashing out. People are irrational!”

She raises an eyebrow at that, and he shrugs.

“It’s more than just a secret identity thing, though,” he says. “You’ve been glaring at me. You don’t glare.”

“I glare at rivals,” Kamala tells him.

“You don’t glare at people unless you hate them,” Miles says. “Wait, before we became friends, did you hate me?”

“No?” she says. “I mean, maybe once or twice, during the Science Fair, but that was the promise of scholarships messing with my mind.” she pauses for a few moments. “My friend Mike saw me being friendly and thinks I have a crush on you.”

“Your friend Mike?” Miles asks.

“You’ve met her before, she was on the New Jersey team this year,” she says. It might just be her, but it seems like Miles relaxed when she said she. Weird. 

“Yeah, okay,” he says. “Protect our secret identities. Pretend to be rivals, I can do that.” He pauses. “I don’t have to be mean though, right?”

“Just be yourself,” she says. “Your non-radioactive spider self.”

“Sure, Ms. Binary,” Miles retorts, and she almost kicks him for that.

“At least mine was subtle!” she says. “How many people here think of Carol when they hear the word Binary?” 

“Just you,” Miles admits, “and the people who know you, and have listened to extensive rants on how much you love her.”

“I need to go,” she says. “Lunch. You know. I guess I’ll see you around?”

“I’ll see you relay day,” Miles says, and grins. “When I crush you into the dirt.”

“Please, in your dreams.” She laughs. “See? Rivalry. We’re the best at it. No one will know~” She ends the statement by wiggling her fingers, and Miles laughs as well.

Yep. This is going well. Everything is going perfect. Nothing at all to distract her from the important and thrilling pursuit of science.

There is a thought in the back of her brain that overlays the sound of Miles’ laughter, and it’s one she very pointedly ignores.

* * *

SlothBaby: I’m almost done with the next chapter, hbu

BadMachine1999: crap

BadMachine1999: i’m so far behind 

SlothBaby: its ok

BadMachine1999: i was going to catch up yesterday but instead i made Bad Decisions

SlothBaby: i mean same

SlothBaby: LOTR marathon for the win

BadMachine1999: ….

BadMachine1999: I didn’t know you were a LOTR fan

SlothBaby: i’m in more fandoms than RPF

SlothBaby: just because I don’t write for them

BadMachine1999: was it fun?

SlothBaby: it’s always fun

SlothBaby: don’t worry about rushing it, i probably won’t have time to beta at all this week

BadMachine1999: oh cool

BadMachine1999: summer camp?

SlothBaby: yeah

SlothBaby: at least they have internet

BadMachine1999: the best thing in the world

SlothBaby: i gotta run, lunch is almost up

BadMachine1999: have fun doing summer camp stuff

SlothBaby: thanks! Have fun doing whatever it is you’re doing

BadMachine1999: dying

SlothBaby: i mean same

SlothBaby: i’ll send the next chapter tonight. See ya space cowboy

_ User SlothBaby is offline. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow im back its been forever. how are you guys?


	5. Chapter 5

 

> ~~_Around her, the laser blasts look like a field of stars, like fireworks, and she can't help but think it's some sort of beautiful, in a morbid kind of way. There's nothing quite like space, and nothing quite like fighting in space, she thinks, like she does it often._ ~~ **Too introspective it's a freaking fight scene come on**
> 
> _~~And he's about to hit Ironheart, and she can't let that happen, and before she knows it she's dragged the ship in front of the shot, and then everything is smoke, and fire, and the last thing she sees before the viewscreen goes dead is the sight of the planet beneath them hurtling closer and closer, and all she can do is~~  _ **No way is that going to take this ship down come on drag this fight out longer**
> 
> **ugh**
> 
> **ugh**
> 
> **why do i suck at writing**

“And it looks like that’s all the time we have,” the instructor says cheerfully. “If you can submit your programs, we’ll check through them, give feedback, and remove any homicidal tendencies before sending you all your code. And I hope to see all of you later this week for the Advanced AI and the Intermediate Robotics seminars!”

“H _omicidal tendencies_ ,” Mike repeats, raising an eyebrow. “What do you think the chances are he’s a supervillain?”

“Supervillains don’t tend to be that cheerful. Or that willing to teach,” Kamala points out. “But the chance that I’m going to end up fighting an evil killer robot this week is looking surprisingly high.”

“Hey,” Mike says, “it’s Science Camp, not Superhero Camp. Facing the robot uprising is an important cabin bonding exercise, and you shouldn’t steal that from us.”

“Do you really want to fight killer robots?” Kamala asks, dubiously.

“No, but we all have to make sacrifices for Science Camp.”

“I don’t know what Bruno’s told you about this camp, but it’s not-” Kamala starts, and then stops dead in her tracks. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Mike says, and pats her arm sympathetically, which means a lot. “What do you think the secret piece to the obstacle course in that seminar was?”

“I mean, nothing stood out,” she shrugs. “I guess some part of the course will be automated? Who knows, maybe we’ll actually have to fight killer robots as a team.”

Mike’s eyes go kind of wide. “I was joking, I don’t actually want to fight robots.”

“They won’t make us do anything that athletic,” Kamala says.

“But they’ll make us do stuff that deadly?”

“Probably not?”

“Why do parents let us go to these things?”

“It looks great on College Admissions,” Kamala says. “What seminar do you have after this?”

“Uh, looks like - Radioactivity and You?”

“And I’m in Pym Particles: The Biggest Deal. I’m surprised they’re holding those at the same time, you’d think a lot of people would be interested in both.”

“You mean, superhero fans would be interested in both,” Mike points out. “Aren’t they pretty different fields? Without a lot of overlap?”

“Yeah, because high schoolers are so focused on specific fields of subatomic physics,” Kamala replies. “Have fun … getting exposed to radiation?”

“They aren’t going to expose us to radiation,” Mike rolls her eyes. “Well, not _that_ much. You’re probably going to get a Pym Particle overdose.”

“That’s not a thing,” Kamala retorts. “Wait, is it?”

Mike is already a yard away, and gives her a shrug as she leaves. I mean, it might be a thing, but Nadia shrinks all the time, and she’s fine, and so are all the other Ant-Men and Wasps except there probably haven’t been a lot of conclusive tests and maybe experimental bioalteration isn’t the best field to go in to.

No one from New Jersey is in the stands for the lecture. No one she knows at all, actually, and it’s pretty full, as she scans her eyes through the crowd of people holding tablets angled away from the sunlight and gripping notebooks tightly against the page-turning breeze.

And then she spots Miles, who’s sitting alone - a rare sight, seeing how he’s always with his friend, (Ganke? She’s almost certain that’s his name). And there’s a seat open right next to him.

“Hey,” she says, kind of gruffly. She is very bad at sounding gruff. “That seat taken?”

“No?” Miles says, kind of surprised, and she sets her stuff down beside him. “I thought you wouldn’t want anything to do with me.”

“I don’t know anyone in here, and sitting next to a stranger is weird,” she admits.

“Weirder than sitting next to your rival?”

“Sitting next your rival is totally normal,” she says, and that is not a convincing statement at all.

“Hey!” comes a cheerful voice from down in front. “Kam-” Nadia freezes, midsyllable, for a few moments, before correcting herself with, “patriots and seekers of science! Who’s ready to learn about Pym particles!”

The roar of the crowd of students is deathly quiet, which makes it all the easier for everyone to hear whoever it is in the back row ask, “Who the heck is that?”

“Good question!” Nadia exclaims. “I’m Nadia Van Dyne, and I’m the world’s foremost expert on Pym particles -” she mumbles something here which definitely includes possessed by an evil robot, “- and currently use them in my role as the Wasp.”

“What happened to Dr. McKenzie?”

“I only learned about this camp really recently, and the administration thought that it would be best if they offered me one of Dr. McKenzie’s lectures, seeing I as the world’s foremost expert on the subject, and because they’re looking to coordinate with my program, Genius in action Research Labs. Which, by the way, is a phenomenal opportunity for all of you, especially young woman, looking to get ahead and proove yourself in the world of superscience.”

“Do you offer scholarships?”

“No! That’s actually a really good idea! I’m going to start looking in to that!” Nadia says. “That’s enough about me, but I’ll be here for the relay, so if you want more questions about that, or help getting in to advanced superscience, please let me know! But! On to the topic: Pym Particles: The Biggest Deal!”

Kamala looks over at Miles, and they share a short, exasperated look. This was definitely not the lecture she’d been expecting, or the level of cheerfulness she’d been expecting, but listening to Nadia ramble was always fun. Not always the most informative, but fun regardless.

Also, the fact it’s Nadia, means that she only has to pay half attention. Which, okay, is kind of bad, but she has to have heard Nadia explain the basics of Pym Particles a hundred times, so half listening, jotting down a few key phrases, and drawing any diagrams is more than enough. Plus, it means she can be on her phone and make up all the time she would normally be spending on FreakingAwesome.

And, okay, hearing how Miles is typing away makes her feel kind of bad, but it’s not like guilt has ever stopped her from going on her phone in class anyways.

* * *

_BadMachine1999 has sent you a link to suggest Coffee is for Champions 11_

_…_

_…_

_…_

_…_

SlothBaby: sorry I didn’t see that until just now

SlothBaby: shame on you for saying you were running late I’m not even done yet

….

BadMachine1999: what can i say i got inspired

BadMachine1999: u busy?

SlothBaby: I’m always busy i lead an aweinspiring life

BadMachine1999: lol

BadMachine1999: ngl i’m running out of ideas for my fic

SlothBaby: what a shame

SlothBaby: guess that means I don’t need to finish my romance, then

BadMachine1999: i hate you so much

SlothBaby: I hate you more

BadMachine1999: like you could handle if i stopped

SlothBaby: tru

SlothBaby: hmmmmm

BadMachine1999: most coffee shop aus have devolved in to romance by this point

SlothBaby: don’t you dare

BadMachine1999: i wasn’t planning on it

BadMachine1999: doesn’t fit the tone anyways

BadMachine1999: but all the fics i’m reading through are so romance heavy it’s hard to get ideas

SlothBaby: i mean

SlothBaby: how plotty are we talking here

BadMachine1999: anything is good

BadMachine1999; i need to sustain your fic until at the very least the first kiss

SlothBaby: so you need like, five years worth

BadMachine1999: please tell me it won’t be that long

SlothBaby: i’m joking

SlothBaby: mostly

BadMachine1999: omfgg

BadMachine1999: do you have an idea though?

SlothBaby: i mean kind of

BadMachine1999: yes! I’m saved!

SlothBaby: ive got a few

BadMachine1999: even better

BadMachine1999: hit me

SlothBaby: so like

SlothBaby: you can go the more obvious route and introduce superhero stuff

SlothBaby: not that they’re superheroes

SlothBaby: but them interacting with superheroes and living in a city with supervillains and all that

SlothBaby: or you do the more plotty element and have someone trying to destroy their shop

SlothBaby: like a company trying to buy them or an angry neighbor or something idk

SlothBaby: or you could focus on other teams as people in other shops but don’t do that bc i want more champions

BadMachine1999: those are great ideas

BadMachine1999: why are you so good at this

SlothBaby: b/c i have no life

SlothBaby: sorry gtg my life is calling me

* * *

“Of course, taking this model of the three axis pym particle, we can do as was suggested in Onome, Richards, Richards, WIttman, et al, the seminal work on the subject, propose of course the anti-Pym particle, and from there -” Nadia looks down at her watch. “And we’re out of time. Links to additional reading are available on the website where all the powerpoints and stuff are, and I strongly recommend them for anyone who’s into this stuff!” she shouts out excitedly. “And also check out GIRL! We’re the future!”

“I guess I’ll see you around,” Miles says, kind of awkwardly. “I’m kind of really done with the whole, we can’t hang out thing.”

“It’s only for a few more days,” Kamala says, and punches his shoulder lightly. “It’s not like we hang out on a regular basis anyways.”

“Still. You could always just, pretend we had an utterly life changing experience and now we’re besties.”

“That won’t stop Mike’s theory about me having a crush on you, though,” Kamala points out.

“Like that’s the worst thing in the world. I’m great.”

“Sure,” Kamala replies, rolling her eyes, “you and all your pocket cheeseburgers are amazing.”

“See you at the relay, Khan,” Miles says, and it’s obvious he’s struggling to hold back his laughter.

“Yeah, at the finish line,” she retorts, “Where I’ll be, waiting for you, having settled down to read a nice longfic to pass the time.”

She’s not sure what part of that sentence makes him burst out laughing, but she can’t help but have a bounce in her step all the way back to the cabin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey look guys i made it,,,,
> 
> quick/random question - i'm using the other champions + the supporting cast a lot more than i thought i would - do you think i should tag them too? i tend not to like tagging the side characters, but in fandoms this small......
> 
> love to all of you who are still reading even though i take forever to update! you mean the world to me!


End file.
